Decorative leaf and process of making the same.



UNITED srarns PATENT t rror.

JUIZIUS A. C. FICHTMUE LLER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR'TO DIAMOND DECORA- TIVE LEAF COMPANY, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

DECORATIVE LEAF AND PROCESS OF MAKING THE SAME.

No Drawing.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I. JULIUS A. C: FIGHT- MUELLER, a citizen of the United States, and resident of the borough of Richmond, city of New York. county of Richmond, and State of New York, have made certain new and useful Inventions Relating to Decorative Leaf and Processes of Making the Same, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to decorative leaf com n'ising a body of metallic or other coloring matter suspended in a suitable carrier and having on one or both sides if desired.

a suitable adherent layer of protector preferably comprising colloidal material so as to effectively protect the coloring matter in the body layer from tari'iishing or other'deterioration. Such leaf may of course be used as substitute gold leaf or colored decorative leaf used in decorating, such as sign work, book-binding and so forth, and may be produced for example by spraying upon sized backing fabric a layer of protector, then a layer of the carrier and incorporated coloring material. then if desired another layer of protector in such way that the whole becomes united or incorporated in drying for example into a single leaf or film which may be removed by treating the fabric with a loosening agent capable of dissolving orotherwise loosening or disintegrating the size on the fabric without acting upon the leaf which may then be transferred to a suitable support for drying, cutting and packing.

Decorative leaf may be made by this process of practically any thickness desired, such thin leaf being readily produced as to be entirely satisfactory for use in fine bookhiuding decoration in the same way as gold leaf and the carrier and protector may be formed of such material that the leaf will become firmly adherent to the leather, cloth or other material of the book without the necessity of a preliminarysizing thereof. The coloring matter of suitably pulverized metal or other material, preferably inyery finely divided condition, may be embedded and inclosed in a suitable protective carrier or hinder formed of suitable resinous gums or other material having sufiicienttoughness and pliabilitgv when in thin sheets'of films. Resinous gums. such as shellac, copal,

sandal-ac, gamboge, mastic, dammar, cam-.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 29, 1910.

Application filed. October 21, 1908. Serial No. 458,914.

preferably comprising suitable colloidal material to more effectively prevent injurious atmospheric action and should of course be so thoroughlyunited with the carrier and incorporated coloring -matter forming the corresponding portion of the body of the leaf asto constitute when completed a single tough pliable leaf, this being effectively accomplished for instance by superimposing the layers of protectorrand body material before the solvent liquids have unduly evaporated therefrom.

A suitable protector. liquid may be pre pared by dissolvingthree to four parts of camphor. two to three parts of gum gamboge, which may if desired be used to slightly increase the red tinge in bronze leaf. one to three parts of sandarac. two to four parts shellac and one to four parts of soluble nitrated cellulose in sixty-four parts of amyl acetate and sixty-four parts of wood, grain or denatured alcohol. Another protector liquid may be prepared bydissolving four to six parts of refined white shellac and one part of gum amber or gum copal in thirty parts of woodalc-ohol and twelve parts of acetone. A suitable illustrative carrier liquid for use in connection therewith may be prepared ,by dissolving three to four parts of camphor. three to six parts of shellac if desired and one to three parts of soluble nitrated cellulose in sixty-four parts of amyl acetate and ten parts of acetone. Another illustrative carrier liquid of this character maybe prepared by dissolving three parts of sandarac. three parts of mastic and one part of benzoin in thirteen parts of acetone.

twelve parts of benzoleand four parts of turpentine; and another similar carrier may be made by dissolving four parts of white shellac and one ortwo parts of copal in forty parts ofwood alcohol and five parts of acetone. Before application three to six parts or so of the metallicbronze powder or other coloring matter, preferably in the extremely finely divided condition secured by flotation separation may be. thoroughly incorporated with twenty-five parts of the carrier liquid which should of course be in a uniform condition secured by assisting the action of the solvents by heat and agitation if necessary, preferably with filtration of the ,resultant material before incorporation of the coloring matter therewith.

substantially even surface.

' In making the leaf the protector liquid may-be uniformly applied in any desired way as by spraying,'for instance, to suitable sized backing, such as cloth, paper, or other material'ooated with water-soluble size, such I for example as animal or vegetable glues or pastes or water-soluble gums to glve it a Then'after the thin layer of protector has set sufficiently,

as for instance by being exposed to the alr T for some seconds, a coating of the liquid car- "rier and incorporated coloring matter may produced by. spraying or otherwise .apply--". 1 mg carrier liquid through a stencil or the like. Then if desired anoth'erthin layer of protector may be sprayed or otherwise applied tothe layer of carrier and coloring matter forming the body of the leaf preferably after it has become set to the esired extent. The leafon the backing may if desired be further dried by artificial heat or otherwise sees .to produce a tough pliable leaf. in which the metallic or other coloring matter is embedded in' the body and inclosed. on one or both faces by the practically integral layer or film.,of protector. The leaf may then be removed from the backing fabric by the use of any desired loosening agent,

I as for example the coated backing fabric may be immersed or otherwise treated with a suitable size solvent or' loosener capable of dissolving or loosening the size without obectionable action on the leaf. With such water-soluble sizes as indicated immersion of the coated fabric in a tank of water for-the desired time isusually suflicient, the water impregnating the paper or other fabric which should preferably be of an open texture and dissolving or loosening the size, thus rendering the leaf loosely adherent to the backing fabric, although of course it .is

composed of three understood that in some cases a substantially water impervious backing material having a surface of t e desired character formed in any way may e used, where the loosening fluid or other loosening agent can either 0 :erate for a sulficient time or act effective y through the backing or leaf.

By applying a suitable'support, such for instance as a sheet of cloth or paper to the leaf and removing the same from the water or other loosening agent, the compound fabric may be roughly dried and placed in position so that the leaf lies upon the supporting fabric after which the backing fabric may be readily removed leavin the leaf restin upon the support on whic it may be drled, cut to size and mounted in the usual way for subsequent utilization. A convenientway of detaching the dry leaf from the backing fabric is to apply to theleaf the supporting fabric and immerse the compound sheet m a tank of the desired size solvent or loosener with the backing fabric uppermost. Then when the loosener has detached the leaf from the backing fabric the whole may be removed from the water, roughly dried and the backing fabric re- --moved, leaving the leaf loosely lying upon the s'upportim fabric for subsequent treatment. It is of course understood that those familiar with this artcan readily carry out this process in a continuous manner by the use of long webs of backing and supportin fabric formed of cloth or suitably prepare paper passing through suitable tanks or otherwise being subjected to the coating and loosening processes, the process being described'in connection with separate sheets for the sake of simplicity.

It is of course understood that carriers and protectors formed of other substantially water-insoluble gums or other binding mate rial may be similarly used in connection with a water-solublesize and aqueous size solvent or loosener. Another such illustrative carrier and protector liquids may be arts of gum copal, two parts of gum san arac dissolved in fifty parts of turpentine or other oily solvent in the usual way, with the aid of heat if desired, before incorporating in the case of carriers the metallic or other coloring lnat- 4 If desiredfhowever, the carrier or protectorv liquid may be composed of casein or water soluble gums, glues or the ,like provided the vwith heating and agitation during which the coloring matter is preferably incorporated after the binding material has been dissolved when the material is to be used as a carrier. Such a carrier or protector may be used in connection with backing fabric which has been sized for example with she lac or other gums and in such case the size solvent or loosener may be wood or grain alcohol or. acetone or a mixture thereof. Of course. when turpentine soluble gum is em- 'ployed as the size the size solvent or loosener may be turpentine, naphtha, benzol or the like so long as it has no substantial injurious effect on the carrier or leaf upon the backing fabric.

Having described this invention in connection with a number of illustrative ingredients, formulas, proportions, and methods of operation, to the details of which disclosure the invention is not of course to be limited, what is claimed as new and-What is desired to be secured by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims.

1. The process of making decorative leaf,

which consists in forming a liquid protector by dissolving approximately three to four'parts of camphor, two to three parts of gum gamboge, one to three parts of sandarac, three to four parts of shellac and one to four parts of soluble nitrated cellulose in sixty-four parts of amyl acetate and sixty-four parts of alcohol, in spraying the same upon backing fabric coated with watersoluble size, in substantially uniformly spraying thereon a carrier liquid formed by dissolving approximately threeto four parts of camphor, three to six parts of shellac and one to three parts of soluble nitrated cellulose in sixty-four parts of amyl acetate and ten parts of acetone with which metallic coloring matterhas been incorporated so as to form a body on said backing and in spraying thereon additional protector liquid and drying the same to form adherent to said backing fabric an integral compound leaf having a body comprising metalliccoloring matter and a protector layer on both sides of the same, in immersing the same in aqueous size solvent to dissolve or loosen the size on said backing fabricand in detaching said leaf from said backing while in substantial contact with a supporting fabric.

2. The process of making decorative leaf which consists in forming a liquid protector by dissolving approximately three to four parts of camphor, two to three parts of gum gamboge, one to three parts of sandarac, three to four parts of shellac and one to four parts of soluble nitrated cellulose in one hundred and twenty-eight parts of volatile organic solvents therefor, in spraying the same upon a backing, in substantially uniformly spraying thereon a liquid carrier formed by dissolving approximately three tofour parts of camphor, three to six parts of varnish gums and one to three parts of soluble nitrated cellulose in seventy-four parts of volatile organic solvents therefor with which coloring matter has been incorporated so as to form a body on said backing adherent to said protector, in loosening the leaf from said backing and detaching the same therefrom.

.3. The process of making decorative leaf which consists in spraying upon a backing a liquid protector comprising varnish gums andnitrated cellulose dissolved in volatile solvents therefor and in substantially uniformly spraying thereon, a carrier liquid formed by dissolving gummy colloidal material in organic solvents therefor and 1ncorporating coloring matter therewith to form a leaf body adherent to the protector layer on said backing, in loosening the leaf from said backing and detaching the same therefrom.

4:. The process of making decorative leaf which consists in spraying upon a backing a liquid protector comprismgdissolved col loidal material, in spraying thereon a liquid carrier comprising dissolved binding material and incorporated coloring matter to form a leaf body adherent to the protector layer, in loosening the leaf from said backing and detaching the same therefrom.

5. The process of making decorative leaf which consists in spray'in upon a backing a liquid protector comprising dissolved protective material, in spraying thereon av carrier comprising dissolved binding material and incorporated coloring matter to forma body adherent to the protector layer and in loosening the leaf from said backing and detaching the same therefrom.

6. The process of making decorat ve leaf which consists in substantially uniformly applying to a backing a liquid protector comprising dissolved protective material, n spraying thereon carrier materialcomprising dissolved binding material and incorporated coloring matter to form a leaf body adherent to the protector layer and in looseningthe leaf from said backing and detaching the same therefrom.

7. The process of making decorative leaf which consists in applying to a backing a liquid protector comprising dissolved protective material, in spraying thereon a car- 'rier comprising dissolved binding material and incorporated coloring matter and applying thereto additional liquid protector to 'form adherent to said backing an integral compound leaf comprising a body having 'colorin matter and' a protector layer on' both si es of the same, in loosening'said leaf from said backing and detaching the same therefrom.

a body comprising coloring matter and a protector layer on both sides of the same,-

in loosening said leaf from said backing and detaching, the same there from.

v9. The process of making decorative leaf which consists in substantially uniformlyapplying to a backing a liquid protector comprising dissolved colloidal protect ve material, in spraying thereon liquid carrier comprising incorporated metallic coloring matter, and applying thereto additional protector to form adherent to said backing an; integral compound leaf having a body comprising metallic coloring matter and 'a protector layer on both sides of the same, in loosening said leaf "from said backing and detaching the same therefrom.

10. The process of making decorative leaf which consists in substantially uniformly applying upon a backing a liquid protector comprising dissolved protective-material, in

- substantially uniformly applying thereon a carrier comprising dissolved binding material and incorporated coloring matter to form a body adherent to the protector. layer and in loosening the leaf from said backing.

coloring matter and applying thereto adand in detaching the same therefrom. l

1 11. The process of making decorative lei:

-which consists in applying to a backing liquid-protector comprising dissolved pro: tective material, in substantially uniformly applying thereon a carrier comprising dissolved' xbinding material and incorporated ditional'liquid protector toform adherent to said'backing an integral compound leaf comprisinga body having coloring matter and a protector layer on both sides of the same, in loosening said leaf from said backing. and detaching the same therefrom.

which consists in: substantially uniformly applying upona backing a liquid protector comprisin dissolved protective material, in substantia 1y uniformly applying thereon a liquid carrier comprising incorporated col-. oin *material and in substantially uni form y applying thereon additional liquid protector to form adherent to said backing an integral compound leaf. havinga body comprising coloring matter and a protector .layeron both sides of the same, in loosening said leaf from said backing by; an

leaf therefrom.

13. The process of making decorative leaf,

aqueous loosening agent and detaching said which. consists in substantially uniformly applying upona' sized backing a liquid protector to form an adherent protector layer,

in substantially uniformly applying thereto comprising incorporated coloring mat-ter,

and applying thereto additional protector 'to form adherent to said backing an integral compound leaf having a body comprising coloring matter and a protector layer on both sides of the same, in. treating said backing with a size loosening agent to loosen said leaf from saidbacking and detaching the same therefrom.

, 15.- The process of making decorative leaf which consists in substantially uniformly applying to a backing fabric having a coatingof Water-soluble size, a liquid protector comprising dissolved protectiveniaterial, in

spraying thereon carrier material comprising dissolved binding material andincorporated coloring matter to forma leaf body adherent to the protector layer'andin treating said backin with aqueous size solvent to loosen the leaf? detaching the same therefrom/ 16. The processof making decorative leaf which consists in applying to a sized backing fabric a liquid 'protector" comprising dissolved I protective material in spraying thereon a carrier comprising dissolved binding materialrand incorporated coloring matter and applyiiig thereto additional liquid protector to form adherent to said backing fabric an integral compound leaf comprising a body having coloring matter and a pro tector layer on both sides of the same, in treating said backing with aqueous size solfabric and detaching the same therefrom.

17. The prqcess of making decorative leafroni said backing fabric and 'vent toloosen said leaf from said backing 12. The process of making decorative leaf backing an integral compound leaf having a body comprising coloring matter and a.

protector layer on both sides of the same, in treating said backing with a size loosening ageiit loosening said leaf without substanerasedv tial injury fromisa-id backing and detaching" the same therefrom.-

18. The process of making decorative leaf which consists in applying to a sized back-- ing fabric a liquid protector comprising dis: solved protective material, in applying thereto carrier material comprising dissolved binding material and incorporated coloring matter to form a leaf body adherent to the protector layer and in treating said backing with a size loosening agent loosening the leaf withoutsubst-antial injury from said backing fabric and detaching the same-therefrom.

19. The process of making decorativeleaf which consists in forming a liquid protective carrier comprising organic gummy material dissolved in volatile solvent and coloring matter incorporated therewith, in spraying said liquid carrier upon sized backing fabric, in drying the same to form a leaf thereon, in treating said backing fabric with size loosening material to dissolve or loosen the size in said backing fabric adjacent said leaf and in detaching said leaf from said backing fabric.

20. The process of making decorative leaf which consists in spraying a liquid carrier comprising dissolved binding material and incorporated coloring matter upon a backing, in drying the same to form a leaf on said backing, in loosening said leaf from said backing and. detaching the same therefrom.

21. The process of making decorative leaf which consists l1. substantially uniformly applying a carrier comprising gummy dis-- solved binding material and incorporated coloring material to a sized backing, in. drying the same to form a leaf on said backing, in treating the same to dissolve or loosen the size adjacent said leaf and in detaching said leaf from said backing. i

22. The process of making decorative leaf which consists in substantially uniformly applying a protective carrier. comprising dissolved binding material and incorporated coloring matter upon sized backing fabric, in drying the same to form a leaf on said backing fabric, in treatin the same with a loosening agent to disso ve or loosen the size adjacent said leaf and in detaching said leaf from said backing fabric.

28. The process of making decorative leaf which consists in substantially uniformly applying a substantially fluent carrier comprising ,dissolved organic binding material and incorporated coloring matter upon a sized backing fabric, in forming a decorative leaf adherent to said fabric in treating said fabric with a loosenin agent loosening the size adjacent said leaf WllillOtll} substantial injury thereto and in detaching said leaf from saidbacking fabric while in substantial contact with-a support,

' sprayin 24.: The compound decorativeleaf formed by spraying upon a backing liquid protector comprising dissolved collodial material, in

ilspra-ying thereon liquid carrier COHIPIISlD dissolved binding material and incorporated metallic coloring matter and in spraying thereon additional protector to form adher ent to said backing an integral compound leaf having a body comprising metallic .col-

oring matter andan adherent layer of protector on both sides of the same and in loosening and detaching said leaf from said backing.

252- The compound decorative leaf formed by; applying to a backing liquid protector comprising dissolved protectivematerial, in applying. thereto liquid carrier comprising dissolved binding material and incorporated metallic coloring matter'to form a leaf body adherent to the substantially transparent protector layer and in loosening and detaching the leaf from said backing.

26. The compound decorative leaf formed by spraying upon a backing liquid protector comprising dissolved colloidal material, in

thereon liquid carrier comprising dissolve binding material and incorporated coloring 'matterand in spraying thereon additional protector to form adherent to said backing an integral compound leaf having a body comprising coloring matter and an adherent layer of substantially transparent protector on both sides of the same and in loosening and detaching said leaf from said backing.

27. The thin pliable compound decorative leaf formed by applying to a backing liquid protector comprising dissolved protective material, in applying thereto-liquidcarrier comprising dissolved binding material and incorporated coloring matter to form a leaf \body adherent to the substantially transparent protector layer and in loosening and detaching theleaf from said backing. 1

28. The process of making color leaf or artificial metal leaf which consists in providing a surface With a soluble adhesive, spraying the surface with an opaque compound, not soluble in the same liquid as the adhesive and then removing the said compound from the adhesive surface.

29. The process of making color leaf, or artificial metal leaf Which consists in pro viding a surface with an adhesive, spraying a thin coat of a soluble cotton solution over said surface, then spraying a solution of sol- 'uble cotton with a metallic or any color owder and finally spraying a coating of so uble cotton solution whereby a metallic or color powder is sprayed over a surface and placed in between soluble cotton solution surfaces which protect it from atmospheric influences.

a soluble adhesive on a surface, then applying a soluble cotton solution thereto by a spray which solution carries a metallic powder and spraying the said surface with this mixture until an opaque coating is formed,

. coating is removed.-

31. An article of'manufacture consisting of a film of soluble cotton containing a metallic or color powder, said film deposited by a spray from solution on a surface of soluble adhesive. I

32. An article of manufacture consisting of a film of soluble cotton formed by a spray from solution on which is placed a similar of a thin film of soluble cotton deposited by a spray from-solution with an opaque and slmilar mixture containing ar metallic or color powder which is covered with the first mentioned mixture deposited by a spray from solution whereby a color leaf or an artificial metal leaf is formed.

"JULIUS A. c. FIOHTMUELLER.

Witnesses: HARRY L. DUNCAN,

JEssm B. KAY.- I 

